Institute of Welsh Affairs

An Academy of National Administration

IMMEDIATE: NOVEMBER 25th 2003

In the wake of a new policy paper making the case for a Welsh Public Service, published today, the IWA is launching a research project on the feasibility of an Academy of National Administration to serve both the public and private sectors in Wales.

Two concerns have come together to highlight the need for this initiative. First, has been the call for a new form of public service in Wales made by First Minister Rhodri Morgan in the run up to the May 2003 Assembly election. Secondly, opportunities in Wales to take a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) course recognised by one of the leading accreditation organisations such as the Association of MBAs, are limited. Undoubtedly, this places Wales at a disadvantage in attracting high calibre people from many organisations and businesses that will only consider accredited courses. It also obliges many businesses in Wales to opt for courses outside the country when they wish to provide to provide MBA training for rising executives.

Part of the background to the First Minister’s call for a new form of public service is that the small size of the Welsh civil service is limiting career possibilities, especially since there is very little two way traffic between Cardiff and Whitehall. The Permanent Secretary Sir Jon Shortridge drew attention to this in his evidence to the Richard Commission, which is looking at widening the powers of the National Assembly. As Rhodri Morgan declared: “We need to invent a new form of public service in Wales, in which individuals are able to move far more easily than now between one form of organisation and another.” He said staff should be able to zigzag in their careers between local government, the Assembly, health service administrators, higher education administration, and organisations such as the WDA and the Wales Tourist Board.

This call was the starting point for Professor Stephen Prosser’s study, Development of a Welsh Public Service, published today by the IWA. In it he argues that there is no central focus or organisation to bring the different parts of the Welsh public service groups together. As he says:

“The Welsh public service needs a physical location to be clearly identified with its development … This would be a dedicated resource, charged with taking forward the learning and development agenda and jointly owned by the constituents of the Welsh public service. It would commission programmes and undertake research; it would seek to build the intellectual capital of the public service; it would be seen as having a pivotal role in developing “Wales plc” … It would employ and create networks with the very best people and, over time, its work would be acclaimed internationally".

The IWA’s new research project will take this recommendation forward, and also examine the prospect of widening the brief to embrace the private sector. This would not only address the limited opportunities to take accredited MBA courses in Wales, but also ensure cross-fertilisation between the public and private sectors. A key requirement is that the new institution should be of the highest standard possible. Hence the ambition in its suggested name, the Welsh Academy of National Administration. In fact it needs to be so good that other countries will want to send their leading young administrators to it. Eastern Europe is a potential export market as well as developing countries. Wales also has a potential edge in its experience of devolution. The project’s aims include examination of the following:

* The minimum provision that would be required to establish a Welsh Academy of National Administration. The assumption would be that the new institution would be small at the start, though with the aim of rapid development to provide a broad range of provision. At the same time, to be successful the new institution would need a critical mass of provision at the outset, either in-house or readily provided on a consultancy basis. The research would indicate what these levels should be.

* An indication of the expenditure currently allocated across key public sector organisations on leadership and management development, and the extent to which this could be diverted to a Welsh Academy of National Administration. Significant sums are likely to be available. One estimate puts the likely potential at between £5 and £10 million.

* An assessment of the start-up costs and the budget for the first five years of a College’s operation.

* An indication of the optimum location for a College and the options available.

Although there is no formal governmental training scheme specific to the Assembly Government, some progress has been made in addressing the leadership and team-working needs of civil servants in Cardiff post devolution. For instance, the Permanent Secretary has recognised the need to develop the capacities of senior managers by establishing a Public Services Management Initiative, a response to political pressure for an integrated public service in Wales. In addition, there are Masters courses in Welsh politics at the Institute of Welsh Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth and the Welsh Governance Centre at Cardiff University. These courses give the most comprehensive training at present specifically for the Welsh Civil Service, although they have not been formally recognised by the government. There is a need therefore for new provision to enhance the management and leadership skills of the Welsh Civil Service and provide an interface with the rest of the public and private sectors in Wales. This would be the role of the proposed Welsh Academy of National Administration.

FURTHER INFORMATION Contact: John Osmond, Director, IWA 029 2057 5511.

Development of a Welsh Public Service can be obtained from the IWA, Ty Oldfield, Llantrisant Road, Cardiff CF5 2YQ. E-mail: wales@iwa.org.uk (price £10, £5 to members).